Lost In Lima Ohio - A true crime blog

When I first came across the murder of Andrew Burd , it seemed a simple enough case. The murderer had already been discovered, charged, tried and convicted. It was an open and shut case. Hannah Overton, Andrews foster mother, had given the small child a lethal dose of salt. The resulting death, would have been painful and slow in coming. But the case was over, and we could at least grasp an instant of relief knowing that she would be behind bars for a long time, paying for the heinous crime she had committed against Andrew. Except that Hannah and her church were bound to protest, to put the blame for Andrews death on Andrea himself- and they were taking their fight all the way to the appeals court. They enlisted the onesided, often bias help of a national TV show, started websites in support of Hannah and attempted to discredit the prosecution. I encourage you to take a moment and revisit the link above, to remind yourself of this case, if only to remember Andrew for a moment and sha...

Enrique Gonzalez is evidently a member of the Bulldog gang, and evidently was intent on making sure that his 7 year old son knew it. Police say that the 26 year old thug took his young son to another gang member who agreed to tattoo the child as Enrique Gonzalez held him down. "The boy did not want to have the tattoo put on, but the father forcibly restrained the boy, pinning him to the ground while his friend who is a 20-year-old validated bulldog gang member put a Bulldog paw print on the young boy," said Cardinale. Travis Gorman was taken into police custody on Tuesday at a home in Central Fresno. Tattoo paraphernalia was also found and confiscated. "The tattoo artist was positively identified by the young child as being the one who put the tattoo on him," said Cardinale. The child was placed in his mother's custody after she filed a police report on Monday, April 20th against Gonzalez for having their son tattooed. Police say Gonzalez also goes by the nam...

To make it clear, I don't condone any abuse of animals. I understand the seriousness of abusive crimes against animals. I do. Yet, it's hard for me to grasp just how we can justify sending two teenagers to jail for 25 years for torturing a cat, yet we're suppose to be okay with the fact that molesting a child is only worth 8 years. I'm not saying that what was done to the cat isn't horrific, I'm just saying that I believe what was done to a 7 year old girl was worse- in that one is an animal, one is a child. Two teenagers could spend 25 years in prison for allegedly torturing and killing a cat they set on fire when they broke into an apartment in New York City. Angelo Monderoy, 18, and Matthew Cooper, 17, allegedly broke into a vacant apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y., on or around Oct. 7, 2008. Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes said the pair held the cat down as they poured charcoal lighter fluid on it. Hynes said they then set the animal on fire, caus...

In the course of researching Andrew Burd 's death, and the trial of Hannah Overton that followed- it seems the biggest feat to overcoming common misunderstandings on the case is to deal with the actual charges against Hannah Overton. Most people seem to accept the fact that while in the care of the Overton's, Andrew did indeed suffer abuse. But in disagreeing with the conviction they point only to the idea that Hannah didn't abuse Andrew that day with the intention of killing him, and because they believe that- there is a leap they can not make to justify the murder charges. To best explain why the conviction is just, we really have to look closely at the capital murder charge against Hannah Overton . Capital Murder, according to the Texas penal code : Sec. 19.03. CAPITAL MURDER. (a) A person commits an offense if he commits murder as defined under Section 19.02(b)(1) and: (1) the person murders a peace officer or fireman who is acting in the lawful discharge of an offic...

When I was much younger, I found myself in a position where I wanted something from someone who wasn't very eager to cave to my request. In a moment of 18 year old brilliance, I realised all I really had to do was get them to agree to my wishes, with actually knowing they were agreeing. Armed with a list of questions I knew were likely to get me lengthy answers, and a video camera- I took it upon myself to "produce" the desired answer. Using their answers, and my editing skills- it was only a matter of minutes before they were "obliging" my requests. I suppose, looking back now- my actions were quite dishonest. But- sadly, I'm not the only one in the world who has used such antics in order to produce the results they most desire. The news media, ever interested in rating, often uses the power of editing to accomplish this same sort of trickery. We've all seen it.. an interview cut at just the right moment, a question posed at just the right time- with a ...

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and make a small confession. I have family members deeply involved in the justice system. And, even friends who have been known to juggle a case or to in court. I myself have sat in a court room a time or two. But, sadly never as a member of a jury. Not that I haven't tried- I've called and volunteered to be a juror, I've questioned a million court employees on why I've never been called. I've even winked at a judge or two in passing, just hoping that they'd see the "willing potential juror" look plastered all over my face. It's been to no avail. My summons has never arrived. I jest about jury duty, but in truth it is no joke. It's an obligation each of us has to victims, to society and even to the accused. Jury duty is a fundamental principal that is tightly bond to our justice system. The legal system is based on a belief that every defendant is entitled to a jury of their peers- an impartial selection ...

Andrew Burd , a happy well adjusted four year old foster child was removed from the foster home he'd spent 18 months in, and placed with Larry and Hannah Overton . The only reason for the move was the Overton's had started proceeding to adopt Andrew, who they had learned about from their church. Andrew's adoption would never be final, and the once lively, bouncing little boy would be dead just months after his placement in the Overton home. As a result of his death, both Larry and Hannah Overton were charged in connection to his death- the state alleged that Andrew had sustained abuse at the hands of the Overtons, and on October 2, 2006 Hannah Overton gave Andrew a lethal concoction of a sodium based seasoning mixed with water. After Andrew fell ill from the extremely high levels of sodium that were forced into his body, Hannah and her husband called various people, including members of their church. They failed however, to call 911. And they failed to seek proper medical ...

Andrew Burd spent most of his short life in foster care. He lived with his biological mother for the first two years of his life, before being put into foster care and in the home of Sharon Hamil. The 18 months he spent with Sharon Hamil he was a happy, well adjusted healthy little boy. She had grown children, and her son and daughter in law spent nearly every day with Andrew, and having the benefit of being special education teachers, never saw any problems with him. His foster mother believed that Andrew needed the benefit of being raised in a family- she was widowed and couldn't provide a father figure to the small boy. And so Andrew left her home, and was placed with Larry and Hannah Overton who began the process of adopting him. The Overton's had a strong religious faith, 4 children of their own and by all appearances seemed to welcome another child into their hearts. You'll read a lot about Hannah, how she loves her children, how she's always put her children fir...

Robert Blue believed that his 165 lb daughter weighed too much, and he was intent on her being able to weigh around 145 lbs for her mixed martial arts division. At first, he claims he attempted to chain the pantry closed, but when that failed to stop the girl from eating, he decided to chain her to her bed. On and off for two days, Blue's 15-year-old daughter was chained to her bed. She was found beaten and in tears -- all because Blue thought she was overweight, according to a police report. Blue, 53, was also arrested for beating his daughter with a wooden stick and kicking her, police said. Blue has prior charges of child abuse for which he was convicted, and admit to police that he'd been known to beat his children with a stick for their training. Blue also stated he didn't think he had committed a crime and that he was acting in his daughter's best interest. Police said a counselor at the 15-year-old's school claimed the girl was chained up. Blue was...

I've often mentioned that some people just shouldn't be entitled to having the privilege of being parents. Sharon Wessel is one of those people. On December 24th, her 11 year old daughter received second and third degree burns from a propane heater which was being used to warm their otherwise unheated home. The child had been standing next to the heater, when her pjs caught fire, undoubtably causing the child extreme pain. In fact, the pain was so severe that almost three weeks later, she was screaming in pain from the burns when a neighbor heard her cries and called police. Upon their arrival, they called for medical assistance- in what was the FIRST attempt to give the child proper treatment since the accident. The girl was transported to Wishard Memorial Hospital and then Riley Hospital For Children on Tuesday. Police said she had to be carried from the home because she could not walk. The girl's mother told police she used moisturizer to try to help heal the burns. ...

Robert Rozenti, the self described illegitimate son of an elderly Port St. Lucie woman was such a jackass of a bastard that he allowed his mother to live in conditions unfit for animals, let alone for the woman who gave him life. Paramedics told police they noticed a strong odor of feces and urine throughout the house, according to the police report. Paramedics told police she was covered in her own feces and had it under her fingernails. They also said she was very malnourished and had not been bathed for some time. According to the police report, Chuboff told police she lived with her son, whom she said often yelled at her and uses the "F" word a lot. As if the lack of nutrition and medical care wasn't bad enough, the woman reportedly had been wearing her shoes for such a long period of time that her feet had literally grown into them. Rozenti has been arrested and charged with neglect of an elderly person. SOURCE

Graydon and Robyn Drown had nine children, which might lead some to mistakenly believe that the Drowns liked children. But, a closer look pretty much proves that it was more than likely the making of the children that these too degenerates were interested in. Marion County prosecutor Sarah Morris told jurors that the children of Graydon and Robyn Drown were beaten with 2-by-4 boards, metal and plastic pipes, spoons and whips. The children, who range in age from infant to 16, hadn't seen dentists or doctors and didn't go to school, Morris said. The children were taken by state welfare authorities after the Drowns were arrested June 19 at their rural home. Each parent faces a 25-count indictment of assault and criminal-mistreatment charges. One of the two children testifying against their 'parents' presented testimony which would seem to support the idea that the father played a leading role in the abuse- but lets face it- no mother would allow her children to be tre...

Aurelia Gallardo might just have a problem with her temper, as evident by the fact that she was reported for trying to push someone into oncoming traffic, then shoving the person into a parked car, and then yelling things like "You are dead to me" and "You are a slut." to the person.  What makes Gallardo's case so much worse is that the person she was abusing in public, both physically and mentally- was her own four year old daughter. t's pretty outrageous when a parent loses composure to that degree," said police Sgt. Brian Loyd of the child abuse investigation unit in a story for Friday's online edition of the Austin American-Statesman. "We see some bad stuff on our unit, but this is new for us." Once Gallardo boarded the bus, according to the affidavit, the bus driver said the woman was "yelling every four-letter word known" at the 4-year-old and was telling the girl that "CPS would take her away and that no one w...

So she decides to beat her 11 year old daughter by him to death with a mop handle. Police say a woman has admitted she beat her 11-year-old daughter with a mop handle and left her to die in bed in her New York City apartment. Detectives say a woman told them she hit the girl so hard on the head that the mop handle shattered. The child was found dead Sunday in the family's apartment in Brooklyn. I can think of a hundred other ways to despise an ex, and none of them including beating a child, let along beating that child to death. Full story

Detective Kurt Knapp of Tennessee has worked domestic violence cases for quite a while. While preforming his job, he's earned respect from the community and praise for those whose lives have been saved by him. He was recently awarded "Detective of the Year" from the DA's office. What is even more telling about the character of this man, and his commitment to 'serve and protect' is the statements made in his behalf: The Coalition Against Domestic Violence "cannot imagine the domestic violence division without this standard-setting level of compassion and dedication to victims of this terrible crime." Six different district attorneys wrote, [...] Detective Knapp does not fall within his elite group -- He tops the list." One victim wrote, "He is responsible for saving my life. And yet, despite the praise and support of many people whose lives have been touched by this dedicated detective, he's been demoted and transferred to patro...

*****UPDATES BELOW***** Rebecca Long liked to knit, for her husband, her parents, her son, her pets- just about everyone. Evidently what Long didn't like was providing nutrition for her 14 year old stepdaughter. The Carnation girl, 14, dodged the grave. Authorities saved her in August from a house of horrors where she was malnourished, dehydrated and withered to under 50 pounds. She had a ghostly pallor, with rotting teeth from failing salivary glands. Suicide entered her mind. After a two-month investigation that just concluded, her stepmother, Rebecca Long, 44, and father, Jon Pomeroy, 43, were taken into custody. They've been charged with first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment, felonies. In a bizarre twist, the girl's father denies knowing his daughter was locked up for long stretches by the stepmother. It's amazing that a woman who had time to knit endless projects, couldn't manage to take the time to go to parenting classes, try anger management o...

Through out the years, I've made a few pleas for assistance from you. Not often, but once in a while when a case seems to be screaming for help. While browsing Trench's blogs tonight, I came across this post: Help a man bury his grandchild Parents Battle Over Baby’s Body: Not too long ago I posted about Alicia Zebrun. She is the woman from Buffalo accused of killing her newborn baby and hiding the body in a shoebox. If you are one who believes that a parent's right to pretend to be a parent ends the moment that said parent KILLS their child, then you might want to head over and read Trench's post. Because, at this moment- the grandfather of that innocent baby is fighting for custody of the child's body to give her a proper burial. Perhaps an outpouring of support for this grandfather and his desire to show this child the love and respect her mother refused her will help persuade someone to do what is right. It just wouldn't be right if we allowed this...

A case previously posted here , has continued to develop as the investigation into the lives of the children, and their deaths has provided more information to police. The sole surviving child was able to escape Renee Bowman's home by jumping out of a window. A neighbor found the little girl with blood on her shirt and clearly in need of assistance and took her to another home where police were called. The neighbor also ordered food for the child after learning she had not eaten recently. The child was described as being barefoot, having bruises all over her body, "extensive open, infected sores and lesions" and "eyes scarred in the corners." Police found the remains of the other two children in the freezer while investigating the condition of the first child. Montgomery County police Lt. Paul Starks said investigators are working on the premise that Renee Bowman's two adopted daughters were killed while the family was living in Rockville. Bowman'...

Police are investigating a woman after the bodies of two young little girls she had adopted were found in a freezer. Calvert County authorities said they found them Saturday as they were investigating a report of an injured child. A woman who said the girls were her adopted daughters has been arrested, according to The Washington Post. Renee Bowman, 43, told deputies that the remains had been frozen since at least February. A third girl was found after escaping the home and reported that she had been beat with a shoe, leading police to investigate the mother. More...

Kristie Hazell must have thought she was living in some sort of fairytale, because she clearly was acting out the role of the evil stepmother. Kristie Hazell, 27, and her husband, Ezra Emanuel Hazell, 30, were charged last year in the October 2007 beating of his daughter with a military belt and computer cord because she wasn't doing her homework. At the time, Mesa police considered it among the worst child abuse beatings they had investigated, with nearly 100 bruises found on the girl's back, legs, arms, buttocks and chest. The little girl was 5 years old, and should have been treated like a princess- not a punching bag. The beatings happened within the same month, and only came to light when the little girl informed a teacher of what was going on. The father's excuse was that the little girl- who was FIVE- was out of control. Honestly, I believe that the people actually out of control where the father and stepmom. Source